LOWER RIDGE ROAD WATER PROJECT PROJECTS LIGHT UP NAVAJO

No lights. No refrigerators or microwaves. No TVs, computers or cell phone chargers. No modern conveniences at all. That’s how more than 15,000 families live on the rural Navajo Nation without access to electricity.

Conway Corp is extending city water mains along Lower Ridge Road to serve nearly 150 citizens in the county thanks to a joint project between Conway Corp, the City of Conway and Faulkner County that was approved in 2022.

The area, northeast of Conway, is not currently served with potable water Residents complain of poor water quality, contamination and aesthetic problems of color, taste and odor Testing performed in the area found that 73 percent of wells tested were positive for coliform bacteria

Current infrastructure is in place to allow Conway Corp to extend water mains without undue capital expenses in order to provide reliable drinking water to the residents who are currently served by potentially unsafe and inconsistent well-water systems

The Faulkner County Quorum Court voted to help fund the project with $1 57 million from the American Recovery Plan – a one-time federal program that awarded $24 million to Faulkner County to complete infrastructure projects throughout the county

But in 2022, thanks in part to Conway Corp employees, the lights went on in 300 Navajo homes during a joint effort between the American Public Power Association and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to extend power lines and bring electricity to families on the Navajo Nation Conway Corp originally sent a crew to help with the Light Up Navajo project in 2019, and after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, crews were excited to return to the reservation in April 2022

The crew — consisting of Senior Lineman Jake Ballard, Linemen Jeremy Douglas and Lance Heer and Underground Service Technicians Huey King and Gordon Valentine — left Conway in early April and made the twoday trip to the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American territory in the United States

The territory, slightly larger than West Virginia, sprawls across the adjoining corners of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah Roughly 300,000 people live on the reservation at any given time, many without electricity They represent 70 percent of all U S households without electricity

To expedite electrification projects, the American Public Power Association is partnering with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority on a mutual aid project to Light Up Navajo Conway Corp is among more than a dozen public power utilities from across the nation to participate in the project

“It’s very humbling,” Underground Service Technician Gordon Valentine said. “I think we’re a little spoiled. I’m getting old and I see people older than me getting electricity for the first time. It’s very rewarding. It’s just humbling. That’s all I can say.”

Density averages 4 2 houses per square mile, but many are spread farther apart, making the work of installing utility poles and stringing wire more labor-intensive and time-consuming Just driving between the secluded worksites could take two or more hours, sometimes to service just a single home

In addition to time and labor, electrifying one household is expensive Each house, on average, requires one transformer, 0 6 miles of wire, nine poles, 16 insulators and two arrestors to connect to the electric grid That’s more than $5,500 per home In comparison, many more homes in Conway could be energized with the same work and materials

Hooking up the remaining 15,000 homes would tally around $1 billion including new infrastructure — which underscores just how valuable the donated labor is Homes have been without power for so long because it’s a costly process that no investor-owned utility was willing to finance

Conway Corp crew members worked 14-16 hours a day while on the reservation At the end of their week, they helped bring power to seven additional homes, including that of Aliza Wood

“It felt amazing,” Aliza said when she flipped the power switch for the first time. “I was like a little kid just filled with excitement. I can see this. I can do this. I can cook this. It just opened up the world basically.”

Some families, like Shirley Chee’s, had been waiting more than 30 years to receive power

“I wish my mom and dad would have seen the lights turn on,” Shirley said. “Me and my sister were just crying, saying, ‘Oh, mom and dad, look at the lights. Look at the porch lights. They are all on.’ We were just sitting there crying. It’s just so wonderful. We never thought this was going to happen. It felt like the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Conway Corp Lineman Jeremy Douglas said he volunteered for the project because he wanted to help families like the Chees

“It was a very humbling experience to see how these families have been living without power when it’s something we take for granted,” Jeremy said. “It was hard work, but at the end of the day when we got to install their meter and flip a switch – that’s what made it worth it. Helping get power on for people who have never had it before.”

As their time on the reservation came to an end, a special dinner was held in appreciation of the team of five from Conway The event included a slide show, speeches, a native prayer and lots of tears – all as a way to say thank you

“We are so grateful that outside communities are sending their electric crews to help,” Navajo Tribal Utility Authority General Manager Walter Haase said. “This project made not only a positive life-changing impact on our families, but it also left a powerful impression on the lineworkers and their communities who proudly volunteer their services. In my opinion, the more important thing than these people getting electricity was that they got to see that other American people cared enough about them to stop what they were doing in their lives and come help.”

The 2022 Light Up Navajo initiative began April 3 and lasted 11 weeks The goal was to connect 300 families’ homes to the grid for the first time Crews were helping connect homes to electricity as well as creating a foundation for additional infrastructure on the Navajo Nation, including broadband and water services

“I know many of you left your families to help empower families here on the Navajo Nation,” Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, said. “On behalf of the Navajo people and all the families you have connected to the grid, thank you. We appreciate you.”